Ute's lectures- embodiment Flashcards
3- discuss gait research compsring nature v. urban
burtan et al ( 2021) found that aestethic preferences and visual discomfort of a stimulus image impacts gait behaviour ( step length and speed) INDEPENDENT OF CATAGORY. so its not nature/ urban catagory that makes any difference
4- What does it mean to say that the self is a construct of the brain?
It means that our sense of self is not hardwired but formed through brain processes that integrate multisensory input, proprioception, and contextual information.
4) define body schema and peripersonal space
- we posit ourselves in enviornments based on the information we have about our own physicality/ body. but this is easily skewed e.g. body dysmorphia or even a large backpack. our information about ourselves is our body schema.
-this is linked to the concept of peripersonal space which is the space directly around the body. we have dedicated peripersonal neurons that detect this area, located in frontal/ parietal areas of the brain
4) what are Steins laws about multisensory integration
1) spatial law
-> senses are integrated best when they come from the same area e.g .clapping sound coming from someones hands
2) temporal law
-> senses are integrated best when the stimuli occur at the same time e.g a guy walks past and then you get the smell of him
3) inverse effectiveness
-> integration is easiest when the signals for each sense are relatively weak and the brain needs to combine multiple to get an accurate perception of the situation
4) what is multiple sensory integration
Multisensory integration refers to the brain’s process of combining information from different senses — such as vision, touch, hearing, balance (vestibular), and body position (proprioception) — to form a coherent understanding of where your body is in space and how it relates to the environment around you.
4) What factors mediate our understanding of our body ( blanke 2016)
its important to know where the body is in relation to environmental stimuli, there are 4 contsraints:
proprioceptive, embodimentm relation to PPS, body related visual info
4) What did Keizer et al 2013 find and how does it relate to peripersonal space
pp walked through doors, experimenters manipulated the width of the doors/ space the pp could walk through
, pp didnt slow down just turned shoulders away. they found pp with anorexia turned far more than healthy pp as they behaved as if they were as large as they percieved themselves, not as they actually are
4) describe the sense of body ownership as it relates to embodied cognition
Body ownership is the feeling that your body — or parts of it — belong to you. It’s the sense of “this is my hand,” “this is my leg,” etc. This sense is not automatic or hardwired; it’s something your brain continuously constructs based on how it integrates sensory information.
its important to guide yourself through environments and is constructed via multisensory integration and body schema
its flexible and can adapt for tools/ phones/ prostethics
4) describe the sense of agency as it relates to embodied cognition
- emerges if predicted sensory outcome (or efference copy) of a movement
matches the actual sensory outcomes (reafference) of the movement. if you think you have control over your physical actions
4)How does the brain generate a sense of agency?
The brain sends a motor command and creates a prediction (efference copy) of the expected outcome. If this prediction matches the actual sensory feedback (e.g. movement, sound), you experience agency. This process is described by the comparator model (Frith, 2000).
4) What evidence shows how agency can be disrupted or manipulated?
Alien Hand Syndrome: a person feels their hand acts on its own (loss of agency, but not ownership).
Anosognosia: stroke patients believe they can move a paralyzed limb — their sense of agency is intact but false.
Helping Hands Experiment: if people hear action instructions and see matching movements, they may feel agency over movements performed by someone else.
4) What brain regions are involved in agency, and why does it matter?
Key regions include the insula, parietal cortex, supplementary motor areas, and cerebellum. These areas help predict outcomes, compare them to real input, and support the feeling of control. Agency matters because it allows us to act purposefully and maintain a stable sense of self in our environment.
1) the mechanisms that dictate gait
Walking (bipedal gait) involves coordination between the body, brain, and environment.
The central pattern generator (CPG) in the spinal cord produces the rhythmic patterns needed for automatic stepping.
While the CPG handles basic locomotion, higher-level control (e.g. initiating, stopping, adapting) requires input from brain regions like the cerebellum and frontal cortex.
The body’s structure (e.g. tendons, bones) is evolutionarily designed to minimise the neural control required for walking.
1) role of cognition in walking across the whole lifespan
In infants, physical mobility and neural development are tightly linked — the ability to crawl, sit, and walk expands access to information and boosts learning (Franchak, 2020).
In older adults, cognitive decline (e.g. dementia, MCI) correlates with reduced mobility. Those with dementia often lose the ability to “walk and talk” simultaneously or are more likely to fall
Dual-task studies show that cognitive load (e.g. doing mental arithmetic while walking) negatively affects gait — especially in older adults, indicating shared brain resources
1) Understand agent–environment interactions as an at least partially emerging process
Behaviour emerges from the interaction between brain, body, and environment (embodied cognition).
The environment shapes what the brain and body can do — e.g., terrain affects gait patterns; the layout of a room affects movement decisions.
Movement is not pre-programmed in the brain alone — it emerges from feedback loops between the body and surroundings.
1) Be able to apply your understanding to different health challenges
Gait changes are linked to:
Ageing (slower speed, shorter stride)
Obesity (less efficient gait, wider stance)
Depression (altered posture and movement)
Injury or imbalance (e.g. heavy shopping bag, high heels)
Gait speed is a reliable marker of physical and cognitive health (e.g. frailty, fall risk).
Cognitive decline may become visible through gait impairments before being detected via memory tests.
1) Locomotion has emerging properties
Locomotion is not just “top-down” from the brain — it emerges from the physical design of the body, the neural signals, and sensory input.
Robotic research shows that complex walking behaviours can emerge from simple control systems, if the mechanical design is right (e.g. passive dynamic walkers vs. Honda ASIMO).
This supports the idea that the body itself carries intelligence — reducing cognitive load via its structure.
1) Emotion and cognition impact locomotion
Emotions like depression change walking patterns — e.g., slower speed, altered posture.
Mood affects movement — happy people walk differently than sad or anxious individuals.
Executive functions (like decision-making and attention) play a greater role when the environment demands more adaptation (e.g. stairs, curbs, crowds).
1) Locomotion affects brain structure and functioning
Physical activity boosts brain function:
Basso et al. (2015): acute exercise improves executive function.
Neurogenesis in the hippocampus increases with exercise (van Praag et al., 1999).
Even short-term movement (e.g. walking or running) improves cognition, likely due to increased oxygenation, neuroplasticity, and neurotransmitter release.
1) Locomotion influences physical and mental health
Regular movement supports:
Physical health (muscle strength, joint mobility)
Mental health (reduced depression symptoms, improved mood)
Cognitive health (better memory, executive function)
Lack of movement — whether due to injury, ageing, or illness — can reduce cognitive ability, create a feedback loop of decline, and increase the risk of poor health outcomes.
1) define embodied condition and describe the steps necessary to determine whether an action is embodied cognition
cognition is comprised of the brain, body and environment interacting, wilson and goblonka (2013) outlined 4 steps to determine whether a task required embodied cognition
nduct a task analysis (first person perspective) of the task a perceivingacting cognitive agent is faced with
* Identify the task relevant resources (brain, body, environment) the agent has
access to
* Identify how the agent can assemble these resources into a system capable of
solving the problem at hand
* Test the agent’s performance to confirm that they are actually using the
solution identified in step 3
2) Explain how locomotion is adapted to the environment
Locomotion is goal-directed and must constantly adapt to environmental conditions (e.g. terrain, obstacles, surface textures).
Adaptation occurs in two main ways:
Reactive: automatic corrections to unexpected disturbances (e.g. tripping).
Proactive: adjustments made in advance, especially based on visual input to avoid costs (e.g. choosing smoother paths, adjusting gait).
Vision helps minimise metabolic and mechanical costs by guiding where and how to step (Goodale & Humphreys, 1998).
2) Be able to use locomotion as an example to illustrate the principles of embodied cognition
Embodied cognition: The mind emerges from interactions between brain, body, and environment.
Locomotion is not just a motor command from the brain — it:
Depends on the physical structure of the body (e.g. muscles, joints).
Is guided by sensory input (especially vision and proprioception).
Adapts dynamically to the constraints and affordances of the environment (Gibson, Warren).
Robotic studies (e.g. passive dynamic walkers) show that movement can emerge from well-designed body-environment interactions with minimal cognitive control.
2) Understand the logic behind the two key psychological theories to explain the nature benefit and how they are supported by evidence
A. Attention Restoration Theory (ART) – Kaplan & Kaplan
Logic: Nature provides softly fascinating environments that allow the brain’s directed attention system (which tires easily) to rest and recover.
Evidence:
Improves working memory, cognitive flexibility, and attentional control (Stevenson et al., 2018).
Nature images alone can restore focus (Berman et al., 2008).
B. Stress Recovery Theory (SRT) – Ulrich
Logic: Natural environments lower physiological stress responses by removing sensory overload (e.g. noise, clutter).
Evidence:
Measurable reductions in heart rate, skin conductance, and muscle tension after nature exposure (Ulrich et al., 1991; Corazon et al., 2019).
